Hello Lover
by swthrt890
Summary: When Angelus is released the AI gang is forced to call in reinforcements to get the necessary information on the beast. They call the only person they believe might be able to persuade Angelus... his mate. AU


"Hello lover," Buffy purred walking down the stairs.

Angelus looked up from his spot on the floor where he was lounging back against the wall of his cage. He smirked when he saw her rising graceful from his spot and stalking forward. "I thought I felt a familiar tingle. Nice of you to come visit Buff." He said leaning casually against the bars.

"What can I say," Buffy replied. "I couldn't miss the opportunity to see the mighty Angelus in a cage."

"You know all you have to do is open it and the fun can really begin?" he told her leering at her. Buffy laughed and Angelus smiled despite himself at the sound. "I must say, you look ravishing lover. Did you dress up for me?" Buffy was dressed in skin tight black leather pants, the type that Angelus usually favored, a blood red corset top and viscous black boots with a stiletto heel. Her hair was pulled up on one side which gave Angelus a perfect view of the mark on her neck.

"Why, yes I did," Buffy told him, "How sweet of you to notice." Buffy said sarcastically. She stalked forward past the red line that marked the safe zone and pressed her body against the cage. She reveled at the contact between her body and his and Angelus smirked smelling the beginning of her desire. He felt his body react to her scent, as it always did and his smirk grew thinking of all the ways he was going to take her once he got free.

"Mmm and have you missed me lover," Angelus asked his voice low and sultry. Buffy sighed, forcing herself away from his body and retreating past the carefully marked red line. She sank down to her knees and noticed that Angelus twitched at the site of her in that position, she filed that thought away for later. She took a relaxed seat on the floor, while Angelus remained standing over her leaning against the bars of his cage.

"Yes and no," Buffy replied. "It's been so long since you've actually been mine. And there are so many others who would kill to take your place." Angelus grew enraged at the implication and slammed himself against the bars of the cage in an attempt to reach her.

"Bitch," he snarled, "There is no one else. Fucking whore! I'll remind you exactly who you belong to!" He slammed himself against the bars again his visage completely demonic. "You are mine!"

"Are you quite finished love?" Buffy asked completely calm. Her tone caused Angelus to pause though he continued to snarl. "Besides how can I be yours, when you left?" Angelus snarled again

"I never left," he snarled. "The fucking soul left." He insisted struggling to reach her.

"Still, whether you or the soul." Buffy continued, "I was still left without my mate. Unguarded, unprotected, uncared for. Are you truly so shocked that others would attempt to take me from you?" She laughed again, but this time it was a harsh mocking sound. "Tell me lover," Buffy asked her voice low. Angelus felt himself grow both aroused at the sound and nervous, that voice was deadly. "What does it mean when a vampire abandons his marked mate?"

"I never abandoned you!" he insisted still struggling to reach her. If he could just reach her, he would remind her exactly who she belonged to. He would remind her exactly who her mate was and she would never dare to even look at another for fear of his retribution. "Tell me how many there were?" he demanded, "How many others have you given yourself to? Fucking slut!"

"Do you really want the answer to that question?" Buffy asked her voice mocking again, "Or would you rather hear about how many tried simply because I was yours."

"Who?" he snarled and a chill went down Buffy's spine, "Who dared to touch what was mine?"

Buffy looked him straight in the eye, carefully reading his reaction, "I believe Dracula was the first who came after me solely because I was yours. Of course he had expected to find you, was prepared to fight you to the death and take your mate as the spoils of war. Imagine his surprise when he found me alone, and without even a basic understanding of what it meant to be mated to a vampire." Angelus could imagine the vampire's reaction easily and he cursed the soul again for forcing them to leave. "He called you unworthy of having me as a mate. Apparently I'm a hot commodity in the vampire world; the slayer mated to a demon, who had allowed him to sample her blood. You can imagine the feeding frenzy it caused when Dracula told the entire vampire community that you had abandoned me."

Buffy watched as Angelus paced in his cage. She had never seen this kind of rage in him before, and she was equally terrified at the thought of his vengeance and pleased that he was so angry at the thought of the loss of his mate.

Angelus continued to pace, thinking of all the ways he would make them all suffer. He was angry with his mate for bedding another. She belonged to him! He was furious with those who dared to touch what he had claimed as his own. But he was absolutely enraged at the soul who dared to leave his mate, a crime considered unforgivable in the vampire world, and had destroyed his reputation so thoroughly that others would dare touch his mate.

"He came the closest to actually taking me from you, you know," she told him conversationally. "His fangs were centimeters from my skin when I was able to overcome his thrall and considering he's dust, I'm afraid you won't ever get your revenge. You'll have to live knowing that he died thinking himself better than you."

Buffy couldn't help taking a sick pleasure in the rage should could feel boiling up from Angelus. It was more than Angel would reveal to her now. Hell now she was lucky if she got a phone call once a year.

"But I digress, Dracula may have been the first but he was hardly the last to come after me. Even your own child attempted to take me." She told him, and smirked when he exploded.

"What!" he screamed, "Get down here you fucking coward," he yelled at the ceiling, "You worthless piece of shit, I should have killed you and your fucking mother when I had the chance."

Buffy just started laughing hysterically and Angelus paused sucking in an unneeded breath. "Why Angelus, one would almost think you were jealous." He scowled in response. "Let me clarify, I would never and I mean never touch your son you damn fool."

"But you just said," Angelus began before Buffy cut him off.

"I said your child," She reminded him, "Although technically I guess he's your grandchild." She said with a shrug on her shoulders.

"Spike," Angelus growled his blood boiling. "I'll fucking kill him, I'll make you watch while I tear him apart, you and your fucking lover are both dead"

"My lover?" Buffy questioned her voice filled with false surprise, "You act as though he gave me a choice." Buffy stood so that she and Angelus were eye to eye. "No, he attacked me when I was weak from battle, bloody and nearly broken because once again my mate had abandoned me to fight alone," Buffy spat.

Angelus snarled pacing around his cage as he searched for anything he could destroy. He had never felt a rage as potent as the one he did now. His own child had attacked his mate. Dared to injure the one he claimed as his own. He would make him beg for death for the insult and it was all the fucking soul's fault. Angel could feel his mate calling out, but he refused to go to her. He vowed then that he would never let the soul have control again.

"And after all that," Buffy said, "Here I am, still coming to you when I felt your call." Buffy scolded as though he were a petulant child.

"Only after you tried to replace me with how many others." Angelus spat, "Just how many did you spread your disgusting legs for you fucking slut."

"You tell me lover how many other scents do I carry?" Buffy asked walking up to the cage. As soon as she was past the red line, Angelus lunged gripping her arms tightly and hauling her against the bars. Buffy remained compliant in his arms and he buried his head in the crook of her neck inhaling deeply.

Angelus stayed with his nose buried deeply against her neck taking in her scent. She still smelled like lilac and vanilla, soft and pleasing. Underneath that was the unmistakable scent of power, strong and rich like thunderstorms, and still deeper Angelus could smell only himself, his scent remained embedded deeply within her body. His body relaxed, all tension leaving and his grip went from bruising to more loving. His face slipped from his true demon into the angelic image he usually carried. He trailed his nose along the column of her neck, leaving small bites on her skin. Buffy moaned softly in the back of her throat and pressed herself harder against the bars. Angelus reveled in her soft surrender.

"Still mine," he whispered laving his tongue across her throat. "Now open the cage love," He commanded.

It took all of Buffy's self restraint not to comply. His voice was so hypnotic and she missed the feel of him so badly. "I think not lover," Buffy whispered before she pulled herself from his grasp and settled herself back down on the floor. Angelus growled low in his throat, a threatening sound meant to intimidate. Buffy just raised her eyebrow at him. "Now that we have established that I have been a faithful mate. Let's discuss how you have not, shall we?"

"That's where you're wrong, Buff. It wasn't me who abandoned you. It was the fucking soul," He said his calm façade back in place. "Funny how after all the times you begged for the soul to be back when I was free, it was him who threw you away."

"The way I see it, Angel is forced to atone for your crimes, now you're being punished for his." Buffy said simply. "I need something from you Angelus, and considering all the ways you have failed me as your mate, I believe you are rather obliged to give me what I want."

"And what is it you want, Buff?" Angelus asked already knowing the answer.

"Tell me everything you know about the beast. Help me prepare for battle since once again you will not be at my side as I fight." Buffy demanded. Angelus paused only for a second before nodding his head. He told her everything he knew about the beast, their past meeting, the Seva priestesses, the beast master, everything.

When he had finished his tale Buffy stood and readied herself to leave, after all she still had a beast to kill and priestess to rescue. Just before she left, she turned to face him again. Angelus looked defeated as he watched his mate leave him once again. No one would ever know the pain he felt at their separation. While he could not love, he could understand other things. He felt the possessiveness, the need, the wanting and it was all denied him because of the damn soul.

"Tell me one more thing Angelus," Buffy said her voice sad. "When I died, did you feel it?" Angelus turned soulless tortured eyes to her. "I know that Willow came and informed Angel, but could you actually feel it, could he?"

Angelus reached out and without pause Buffy went to him. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and held her too him. If anyone saw the scene they would be shocked by his level of tenderness, but this was his mate in his arms, and once again she was in pain. "Yes love, I felt it." He replied softly. "The soul felt it as well, but it disregarded the feeling. He is used to blocking out your connection. Not me though, as soon as I felt your soul leave. I knew you had died, and that I had failed you. I mourned you as I have never mourned another." He admitted.

Buffy looked up at him, and in that moment she didn't care that he was soulless, or that she knew him to be evil. In that moment she was simply a woman, desperate to feel the touch of her mate. Buffy leaned in and kissed him deeply. "I love you Angelus," she admitted before pulling away and heading back upstairs.


End file.
